Freedom From Fear

Hi, my name is Austin. I’ve grown up in a Christian home, going to church and reading my Bible since I was little. Before I trusted Jesus, I was scared a lot and didn’t really know what to do with those feelings. I worried about bad things happening to me, and I felt like I had no one to give my fears to. I also felt a lot of pressure, especially during basketball games, and sometimes I didn’t try my hardest because I was afraid.

In my heart, I was struggling and sometimes felt alone. I would get frustrated and sometimes take it out on my brother and sister. I also made excuses instead of taking responsibility when I did something wrong. I didn’t really feel peace. Even though I grew up going to church, I realized that I am a sinner and I can’t save myself. There’s nothing I can do on my own to get to heaven, which is why I need Jesus.

One big moment for me was seeing one of my friends get baptized. That made me start thinking about my own relationship with Jesus. I remember going home and talking about it and realizing that I wanted to follow Jesus. I learned that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and came back to life so I could be forgiven and have a relationship with God, and he’s already paid my debt that  he did not owe so I can go to Heaven. That’s when I started to trust Him and follow Him.

A Bible verse I like is Romans 10:9, which says, “If you say with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Since trusting Jesus, my life has been changing. I try harder in what I do because I want to honor Him. The biggest thing is that now I have someone to give my fears to, and I know He is always with me. I still struggle with sin, but I’m growing every day. I’m learning to have more love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. When I feel stressed or upset, I try to pray instead of getting scared or frustrated. I also try to be kind and help others because I want to represent Jesus. I want to be baptized because I have trusted Jesus, and I want to show others that He has changed my life. I want to keep following Him and growing closer to Him.